Disposable Reptile Heat Pack

There are 20, 30, 40, 60, and 72 hour disposable heat packs. Aside from the different length of time that each type of heat pack, they also have different peak time and temperature as well as activation time.

20 hour disposable heating pads activate quickly (5-10 minutes), get hotter than the others and reach peak temperature in approximately 7 hours. It’s good for tropical fish because it takes more heat to heat up water than air. It’s a good idea to use it along with another longer lasting heat pack for shipping reptiles from a very cold area to achieve a more even temperature throughout the trip.

30 hour heat packs activate in approximately 20-30 minutes. The actual surface temperature may reach 115 degrees at its peak, which isn’t as hot as a 20 hour pack, but not as mild as a 40 hour. Its peak temperature is reached between 12 to 14 hours.

40 hour heat packs activate in approximately 40-50 minutes. It is the most popular type for shipping reptiles, amphibians, and insect shipping. The surface temperature is about 110 degrees at its peak. It releases a steady temperature and peaks between 17 and 19 hours.

The 60 hour heat pack is similar to the 40 hour heat pack, but it lasts much longer and reaches its peak temperature between 25 to 28 hours. It’s great for export shipping or shipping via USPS Priority Mail.

72 hour heat packs activate slowly, up to 3 hours. Their maximum temperature is similar to the 40 hour heat pack. 72 hour shipping warmers reach their peak temperature in approximately 24 hours. 72 hour UniHeat shipping warmers are the best choice for 2 to 3 day shipments.

USING THE HEAT PACK

The idea of using heat packs for shipping is not to achieve the optimal temperature inside the box but to keep the temperature from falling so low that it causes the animal to be overly stressed or die.

If testing is needed before use, open the vacuum sealed package and roll in a layer of newspaper or place in a small space like a lunch bag or in your shirt or pants pocket and give it tome to heat up. Don’t just place it on the table because you most likely won’t feel any heat released because the air volume surrounding the heat pack is much greater than the heat being released in the initial stage.

There are 2 sides to these disposable heat packs. The side with the red strips must always be exposed to air. Don’t lay the red striped side or tape it in a way that would obstruct the airflow into the perforated holes.

In a 1 cubic foot insulated box, the first heat pack will raise the temperature approximately 12-16 degrees. Each additional heat pack will raise the temperature about an additional 10 degrees. The temperature range of 60 to 75 degrees is very safe for most reptiles and amphibians.

If the temperature in the shipping box falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the disposable heat pad may stop working because the water in the heat pack may freeze.